INDEPENDENT candidate Peter Law stormed to a landslide victory in the General Election, overturning the largest Labour majority in Wales on an historic night in Blaenau Gwent.

Retiring MP Llew Smith's 19,313 majority was demolished as Mr Law triumphed over Labour candidate Maggie Jones by 9,121 votes, a swing of 48.9 per cent.

Taking the stage to resounding cheers immediately after the declaration at Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre, just after 2am, 56-year-old Mr Law said: "Good morning - and it's a very good morning in Blaenau Gwent!"

The Assembly member, who had decided to stand against his own Labour Party in protest at the imposition of an all-women shortlist to decide Mr Smith's successor, sent a defiant message to Tony Blair and the Labour hierarchy.

He said: "This is what you get when you don't listen to the people.

"The people of Blaenau Gwent are not here to be manipulated, walked over and taken for granted.

"We have values here others simply don't understand.

"It is time Labour started thinking about that."

On the announcement from acting returning officer Dylan Smith that Mr Law had received 20,505 votes - 58 per cent of the vote - cheers erupted from his supporters and campaign team, while wife Trish gazed in disbelief.

Labour candidate Ms Jones polled 11,384 votes (32 per cent) - almost 40 per cent less than Mr Smith received in 2001.

Once again the borough recorded a higher turnout than the national average.

Two-thirds of the electorate registered their vote (35,251), an increase of 6.6 per cent.

The results:

Peter Law (Independent) 20,505

Maggie Jones (Labour) 11,384

Brian Thomas (Liberal Democrat) 1,511

John Price (Plaid Cymru) 843

Phillip Lee (Conservative) 816

Peter Osborne (UKIP) 192

l Turn to pages 27-30 for full details of an historic night's election